MCS, 1PP, NY

Tuesday, May 20

Alex listened, stunned, as her step-father continued the story. His suspicion had been correct: at the hospital, the doctors determined that her mother was having a mini-stroke. They quickly administered anti-blood-clot medication, and kept her in the hospital overnight for observation. She'd been resting at home since her release this morning.

Alex thought Dan's confident, upbeat report was slanted for her benefit. She'd seen her mother after the first stroke: barely able to walk or speak. It had taken months of therapy to recover, and she never really got back to normal.

"She says she's feeling good," Dan said, "just a little tired. We're going to take it easy tonight, and see how she feels tomorrow."

"This started yesterday?" Alex said. Her voice was strained. She looked up into Bobby's eyes. He was still standing there, looking as worried as she felt – probably more worried, since he had no idea what had happened.

"Yeah, it was maybe four o'clock," Dan said.

"Did you call anyone?" Alex asked, knowing the answer. If her sister or one of her sisters-in-law had known of this, it would have gone around the family within minutes.

"No, but let me tell you why-"

Alex shut her eyes. "Dan, she had a stroke, and you didn't tell us?" She heard Bobby inhale sharply.

"Alex, it happened so quickly," Dan said, "and the doctors caught it in time. She didn't want me to call. I swear, she looks good, and she says she feels okay – just tired."

"I can be there in an hour," Alex said.

"Why don't you wait a couple days on that," Dan said. "We're going to turn in early tonight."

Alex went numbly through the rest of the conversation. She closed the phone and dropped it onto the table. She couldn't move from where she stood, staring at Bobby's tie. She was grateful he didn't say or ask anything yet.

She'd been running around the city, completely unaware that her own mother was having a stroke! What if it had been a major stroke instead of mini? Her current case involved a family that lost a parent suddenly – it could have happened to her as well.

She finally raised her eyes to Bobby's. "So, you heard," she said.

He nodded. He came a little closer and spoke softly. "Stroke. How bad?"

"Dan says it was a mini-stroke." She rubbed at her eye with the ball of her hand. "...and the doctors gave Mom that medication-" Her throat closed.

"...to prevent clotting, yes," Bobby said. "If they give it within the first few hours... There was no damage?"

Alex sniffed. "They don't think so. But Dan said... not to come tonight. Mom's tired..." She could only take short, shallow breaths. Her tears were rising quickly. She tried to cover her crying with a cough, but it didn't work.

"Where's that handkerchief?" she choked out. It was pressed into her hand.

When Bobby gently laid his hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer she didn't resist. She leaned her forehead against his chest and let her tears flow. His hands on her back rubbed up and down, trying to comfort her.

She soon began to get control of her crying. She took a deep breath. Bobby let his hands drop to her elbows, holding her lightly.

Alex's back was toward the door – the glass door, she realized, in the glass wall. There was no way her meltdown had gone unnoticed. She took her time wiping her eyes.

"So," she said, and then stopped. How could her voice sound so shaky with one little word? She cleared her throat and shook back her hair from her face. "So, I guess everyone is watching me have a breakdown?"

Bobby still hadn't moved away, although they weren't touching now. "Umm, not everyone," he said, slanting a glance toward the main room. "Some people are out today, you know."

Alex laughed, but immediately felt tears spilling again. "Cut it out. What about the Captain?" She blotted her eyes with the handkerchief.

"Yeah, he's there."

"Great."

"But you've got a clear path to the ladies' room. No, don't go yet." He bent down to her level, examining her face. "Get ready, and I'll tell you when it's safe to move."

She blew her nose again and grabbed her cell phone. She sniffed. "Thanks. I just need some time-"

"I know." He righted the chair she'd knocked over. "Okay, go now. Don't let the Captain make eye contact."

Alex held her head up, turned and walked briskly toward the ladies' room. She avoided every face as she went. In her peripheral sight she saw Ross move toward her, but she didn't pause.

Once inside the restroom her phone rang again. The display showed it was her sister-in-law Carla. Obviously Dan had been making the round of calls to the family.

By the time she returned to the squad room she'd talked to her sister and both sisters-in-law. Her step-father had given them all the same report, and had persuaded them all not to come to the house. Alex felt marginally better, but this had been a close call for her mother – too close.

She saw Bobby pacing in the interview room, and she headed back there. This time when Ross approached, Alex stopped.

"Eames," he said, "if you need some time off for your mother, just take it - whatever you need." He must have talked to Bobby while she was hiding in the restroom. She needed to thank Bobby for that.

"Thank you, sir. I'm not sure right now if I'll need it."

"Goren can handle the investigation for a while if necessary."

Alex hoped she looked calm, cool and collected. "I'll let you know."

As she entered the interview room, Bobby took a seat at the table. She dragged a chair next to him and sat down. He turned toward her expectantly.

"I talked to my family," Alex said, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Nobody else knew about it, either."

"Tell me what happened," he said.

Alex repeated the events Dan had described, along with a few details she'd picked up during her phone calls. Bobby listened intently through her entire account.

"A mini-stroke isn't actually a stroke," he said when she finished. It's a transient ischemic attack."

"I know," she said. "I read a lot about strokes after Mom had her first one."

"It can lead to a full stroke, but when they treat it immediately it doesn't usually cause brain damage or impair physical function. Your, um - Dan did the right thing, to give her aspirin."

"I know that, too, but..." Alex held out her hands. "Look at me – I'm still shaking!"

"Of course you are – this is your mother," Bobby said. He leaned close. "I think you should call him back - tell him you'll come tomorrow and make dinner for them. And, uh..."

"And what?"

"I'll come and help you cook."

Alex had been gazing at her hands, but at his last words her eyes snapped to his face. "You will?"

He nodded earnestly. "We can stop to pick up whatever food we need, and if you want to sit and talk to your Mom, I'll take care of the cooking."

Alex leaned back in the chair, blinking against a new wave of tears. "I swear, Bobby, if you make me cry again in front of the whole squad room...!" She'd intended to return his handkerchief, but now she needed it once more.

"Eames..." He looked embarrassed. "This way they don't have to do a thing. And you need to see her. Go ahead – call."

She reached for her phone. "Thank you, Bobby. And thanks for telling Ross – I really wasn't up to that." Alex met his gaze and held it. She hoped he understood how much she appreciated his thoughtfulness.

Her step-father resisted her offer at first, but eventually he agreed.

"Don't prepare anything, Dan," Alex said. "We'll cook, wash the dishes, and do whatever else needs to be done."

"Alex-"

"I mean it," she said. "You must be tired, too. Look, we're not company. So don't let Mom run the vacuum or anything like that. Promise me."

"Hang on a minute." Alex heard them talking. Dan came back on the line and said, "All right. We'll see you tomorrow, but you'll have to face your mother about kicking her out of her kitchen."

Alex laughed. "I'll let Bobby take the heat." She winked at him.

Queens, NY

Wednesday, May 21

"Is it okay for me to come?"

Alex was driving, so she could only spare a quick glance at her partner. They were on their way to the Best Fresh Foods store in Long Island City, and had been discussing security technology. It only took a second to shift gears mentally; she'd been expecting him to question her about her mother.

"You mean to my Mom's house tonight?"

"Yes. It's just," Bobby continued, "I invited myself. If you think I shouldn't come..."

Alex frowned. "You're not getting out of this, Goren. You promised to cook, so you'd better show up."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him turn toward her. "Did you talk to them again last night?" he asked.

"No, Dan said they were going to bed early, and he's been known to unplug the phone and let it all go to the answering machine. I did spend about two hours on the phone with my sister, brothers, sisters-in-law, and Mom's sister. We even told my Dad, and he was... suitably concerned."

"Do they talk to each other?"

Alex grimaced. "Not if they can help it."

She sensed Bobby's eyes on her. "You're feeling better about your Mom today," he said.

Alex nodded. "A little, yeah." She took a deep breath. "My sister-in-law Carla – she's the nurse – was going to call them this morning. She'll let us know if there's a problem. Otherwise..."

"Mmm. No news is good news."

"The rest of my family's mad at me because Mom turned down all their offers, but she's letting us come."

There was a long pause before Bobby spoke. "Is that – does that mean–"

"That means we'd better enjoy it tonight, because they're not going to let me get in first again." She turned for a quick grin at him. "Thanks."

She returned her attention to the road, but she could tell Bobby was smiling.

He said, "We should bring flowers for your Mom."

"Good idea. She likes mums." She added, "Dan likes Corona Extra."

Best Fresh Foods

Long Island City, Queens, NY

Wednesday, May 21

Ben Beldsen's office in the back of the Best Fresh Foods store was larger than the one at Winter Market, but it felt smaller because of the clutter. His desk and two file cabinets were covered with stacks of papers, mail and magazines. Nearly every bit of wall space was filled with certificates or shelves of trophies and chachki. This was the office of a pack rat.

There was a young woman whose desk was right outside the office. Her desk was clean and organized. She was on the phone when they passed; Alex heard the word "organic" in the conversation.

Two chairs had been squeezed into the office for the interview. One was a molded plastic lawn chair, obviously pulled from a display in the store – the tag dangled from an arm. Alex couldn't avoid bumping elbows with Bobby as she took out her notebook. He grunted as he shifted his seat another inch closer to the wall.

"Yeah, sorry about the tight quarters," Beldsen said, though he didn't sound apologetic. He was seated behind his desk, moving piles of papers aside to clear the line of vision. "I don't spend much time in here, and stuff tends to accumulate. Marie keeps me organized."

Bobby said, "As long as none of the food you sell passes through here." He sounded irritated - they'd decided to test Beldsen's temper.

"Ha, good one," Beldsen said. "But don't worry, I got all A's from the Department of Health."

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah, we know how city health inspectors operate."

Beldsen obviously also knew about the tendency of some inspectors to accept or even demand bribes, because he responded passionately. "No! I know what you're thinking, and no way! A certificate on the wall won't bring the customers back if they think the food's not top quality, clean and safe. It's not worth it."

"So, Mr. Beldsen," Bobby said, changing topics without warning, "you've had an interesting relationship with Robert Winter. We know you worked for him in the past – we don't know how it ended. Did he fire you?"

"Of course not," Beldsen said with a frown. "No, in fact he liked me. I worked there while I was in my last year of college. It was... nineteen years ago."

"Is that when you got the idea to open your own store?" Alex asked.

Beldsen nodded. He was still fiddling with the clutter on the desk.

Bobby grabbed a tall stack of papers that was partially blocking his view of Beldsen, and let it drop onto the floor. "That's better. Now... You say Robert Winter liked you." He leaned forward to catch Beldsen's eye. "And yet you opened this store only a few blocks away from his. You wanted to steal away his customers."

"No. Look," Beldsen said, jabbing a finger toward Bobby, "you don't understand retail grocery. Two stores, close like this - we run different weekly specials, different promotions, and it attracts more people to both stores. I bet I helped his business by being this close."

"Very philanthropic," Alex said. "And when you sued him last year over the Park Slope store, were you still trying to help?"

"Ahhh, you need to hear the full story on that," Beldsen said, "not just Ronnie's version." Alex was gratified to see his face beginning to redden as he continued. "The only reason I even looked at that place was because he tipped me off it was on the market."

"Ron Winter told you to buy the property?" Alex asked, incredulous. "You're friends with him?"

"Not really, but I met him at a promotion, or reception, or whatever - given by a produce supplier last year. They were promoting the organics, you know, telling us how to do displays and all that. Anyway, Ronnie spent his time at the open bar, and he got kind of talkative about some property in Brooklyn that was practically move-in ready. Marie was there with me – she can tell you," Beldsen said. He banged on the wood paneled wall to his right and called loudly, "Marie! Can you come here a sec!"

The young woman's desk was directly on the other side of the wall, but they didn't hear a response.

"Why would Ron tell you about a piece of property his father was trying to buy?" Bobby asked. He crossed his arms and shook his head disbelievingly.

Beldsen puffed out a breath. "He never told me his father had bid on it. At the time I figured Ron was hoping I'd close this store and move everything to Brooklyn – eliminate the competition. I know: it makes no sense, but that's him - always looking for the easy way out."

"A second store is a huge investment," Bobby said.

"Tell me about it," Beldsen replied. "Ron probably thought I was as bad with money as he is – but I actually have a business plan!" He thumped his chest. "I've been saving for a second store practically since this one opened. Anyway, the Park Slope property was perfect, but then the Winters pulled that stunt on me. Hey, Marie!" He pounded the wall again, but there was still no reply.

Bobby slowly rubbed his jaw, quickly glancing sideways at Alex. "I have a different explanation, Mr. Beldsen. I think you've always paid close attention to Winter Market, and you mirror their innovations and sales."

Alex picked up the thread of her partner's logic and kept goading. "You occasionally talk to some of Robert Winter's employees – and you make it worth their while to mention what's going on there."

That must have struck a nerve. Beldsen ran both hands through his hair and shook his head angrily – but he didn't deny it.

Bobby added, "You thought you could actually get ahead of them this time, but something went wrong, and Mr. Winter got the new store. That got you angry."

"We noticed you use Safety Shield security for your store," Alex said. "The same as Winter Market."

Beldsen blinked in bewilderment. "So?"

"So we think you found a way to use your security software to get inside Winter's new store," Bobby said. "Do some mischief, sabotage his grand opening..."

"No!"

"But Mr. Winter surprised you, confronted you," Bobby continued, "and... you vented your frustration."

"You think I killed him?" Beldsen shouted, slamming both hands on the desk. "First off, I liked Bob Winter and would never hurt him; and second, I was right here Monday all day, until after closing, eleven PM, which Marie can tell you if she'd ever get in here – MARIE!"

As Beldsen hammered on the wall, a framed certificate dropped from the wall onto his arm. At the same instant Alex noticed movement on the shelf above Bobby. She called out a warning – too late - as something was shaken off the shelf by the vibrations.

A coffee mug plunged down.

It hit Bobby's head, and then splintered as it crashed onto the floor.

Bobby clapped a hand onto his head and hunched forward, but didn't say a thing. Alex was on the other side of him, and she couldn't see how badly he was hurt. Had it hit his eye? Her heart raced wildly.

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" Beldsen exclaimed. "You're bleeding! Let me, let me get something for you..." He stood up and gestured feebly.

Alex hurriedly pushed papers aside and leaned on the desk to get a better look. Bobby's eyes were squeezed shut. Blood was leaking steadily through his fingers and down his face and neck.

Bobby started fumbling blindly in his pockets with his right hand. Alex reached into his breast pocket and pulled out his handkerchief – that was what he was searching for. He took it with a grunt and immediately pressed it to his temple.

Blood had already stained Bobby's shirt collar and was dripping onto his suit and tie. If the cut was deep, the handkerchief wouldn't be enough to stop the flow of blood for long. Right now Bobby was applying pressure; eventually Alex had to determine if he needed stitches.

He seemed to be in pain, but so far he hadn't spoken or looked up at her or even moved much.

Beldsen, on the other hand, was hovering and fussing and cursing himself. He'd dug out a box of tissues, which he thrust at Bobby. Alex pushed it aside.

"I need a first aid kit," she said.

"Right, yes, right, I have a first aid kit," Beldsen said, panting. "Let me just..." He turned around a couple times, staring at the floor, the desk, the wall.

Alex deliberately took a deep breath – if she didn't get Beldsen out of the room she'd start hyperventilating, too. She pointed at the door. "Don't look in here – I bet Marie knows where it is. Go!"